Kimball vs. Maple Lake, 57-64 Tuesday, Dec. 16, the Kimball girls’ basketball team traveled to Maple Lake for its first conference match-up against the Irish. The Cubs started out strong in the first half, capitalizing on open shots and put-backs. At the half, Kimball led Maple Lake, 34-26. The third quarter set the tone for the rest of the game with the Cubs unable to run their offense smoothly because of Maple Lake’s 1-3-1 zone defense. Kimball shot 17-31 from the foul line, and missed free throws that cost the Cubs the game. Kimball lost, 57-64, with a 0-3 season record. Melanie Marquardt led in scoring with 28 points, including two three-pointers. Amelia Hentges and Ashley Kunkel contributed 14 and eight points, respectively. Hentges had 13 boards for a double-double, and Marquardt had 10 boards and 13 steals for a triple-double. The girls showed a lot of hustle and desire playing against Maple Lake. Rebounding improved from the last game, but the free-throw percentage was drastically low. A fine showing for the Cubs, but it wasn’t their night to shine. Lester Prairie holiday tourney The team competed in the annual holiday tournament at Lester Prairie Friday, Dec. 19. The Cubs drew the home team in the semifinal game. Kimball struggled with Lester Prairie’s zone defense in the first half. Lester Prairie looked to run on the Cubs and made key free throws. Kimball trailed Lester Prairie, 19-26, at the half. The third and fourth quarters were productive for the Cubs, coming from behind to close the lead and tie the game at 43. However, the momentum ran short and the Cubs fell, 54-43. Senior Melanie Marquardt led the team with 21 points, seven rebounds and six steals. Junior Amelia Hentges scored 13 points and grabbed seven boards. The Cubs worked hard to move the ball around, but the shots wouldn’t fall for them, and Lester Prairie used speed to their advantage. The girls played Holy Trinity in their third game of the tournament. Holy Trinity trailed by two in the first quarter. The girls outscored the Trojans, 24-8 in the second quarter, leaving a half-time score of 38-20. The final score was 72-33, the first win of the season for the Cubs. Melanie Marquardt and Amelia Hentges sparked the Cubs, scoring 30 points and 23 points, respectively. Ashley Kunkel and Jenna Stenger scored five points each. Other players added to the tally as well: Stephanie Roos had four points, Casey Williams three, and Brandi Schiefelbein two. Hentges hauled down nine rebounds, Kunkel grabbed eight boards, and Marquardt had nine steals for the night. The Cubs’ defensive tenacity was impeccable; as a coach it was extremely satisfying to watch them run the floor and look to score. The Cubs now stand at 1-4. Marquardt sets scoring record Melanie Marquardt, senior point guard for the Kimball girls’ basketball team, set a career milestone and new school record Dec. 16. She is now the Kimball Area High School girls’ basketball all-time leading scorer. Marquardt surpassed Tammy Kuechle, who scored 1,347 points in the 2000-2003 seasons. Marquardt needed only 56 points to claim the title, and her 28-point game against Maple Lake put her 17 points over the previous record. The Cubs have three-fourths of the season remaining and many games left to play. It seems likely that Marquardt could be vying for the all-time leading scoring title for both girls’ and boys’ basketball. Congratulations, Melanie, on your great accomplishment.
